Drying machine



May 13. 1924.

F. HINNEKENS DRYING MACHINE Filed' Sept 2 1922 ATTURNEV Patented May i3,1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE..

FLORENT HINNEKENS, 0F PATERSO'N, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO VAN VLAANDERENIIACHINE COMPANY, 0F PATERSON, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW TER- lBEY.

y DRYING MACHINE Application led September 2, 1922. Serial No. 585,894.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, FLORENT HINNEKENS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Paterson, in the county of Passaic and State of New Jersey,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Drying Machines, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that class of drying-machines in whichflexible material (it may be a fabric to be dried or a flexible sheet onwhich is suitably held some such substance as tobacco, for example-theterm flexible material being hereafter used to comprehend both) iscarried through a drying chamber on a conveyor having crosspieces andthe material is in some way formed into loops or festoons, as by feedingthe material to the conveyor faster than the latter travels, bothrunning constantly, or by advancing the material constantly and theconveyor intermittently so that the materail falls in the loops orfestoons between the cross-pieces during the stopping periods of theconveyor.

A fault with these machines as heretofore constructed has been that theerossepieces produce an irregular drying of the material, so that if itis a delicate fabric, for example, there will be left in the driedproduct more or less distinct streaks which impair its quality. Theobject of this invention is to overcome this fault, and this laccomplish by arranging the cross-pieces so as to revolve on their ownaxes while being advanced by the conveyor, their revolving motion beingeffected in any way, as by causing them to travel at the period whenthey are supporting the material in loops in contact with a stationaryrail. They may be caused to rotate in either direction, which, in orderto form the loops properly, is only a matter of timing the rateof feedof the material accordingly; in the example herein described andillustrated they are arranged to rotate in the same relative directionas the conveyor (here an endless conveyor) travels.

In the accom anying drawing,

Fig. 1 is a si e elevation of a dr ing machine of the class indicatedembo ying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of certain details illustrating the inventionon a larger scale; and

Fig. 3 is a transverse section of what is shown in Fig. 2.' l

a indicates a structure including the drying chamber a', which hasmeans, as the usual fan b, for causing .circulation of air (as suitablyheated air) therein so that it will move in an up-and-down direction forthe purpose of drying the looped or festooned fabric. Said structurealso includes at the ends of the drying chamber extensions a2 a3 of thelatter in which, respectively, the loops or festoons are formed and,after passing through chamber a', paid out to the folding or other means(not shown) to receive the dried material.

In suitable bearings on the uprights a,4 a of structure a are journaledthe horizontal shafts of the revolving guiding members or supports c forthe conveyor d, which is of the usual construction, comprising chains orother flexible members as shown, excepting that at regular intervalsthey are provided with opposed bearings d; these bearings receive thecross-pieces to be described. One of the members c may include sprocketwheels c whose teeth engage the chains and which at intervals to conformwith the spacing of the bearings d may have peripheral recesses c2 toreceive said bearings; one of said members, as the one last mentioned,may receive from any suitable driving means the power for advancing theconveyor by rotating such member, said means being herein illustrated asa belt e extending around a pulley f on said member. The conveyorextends through chamber a and its extensions a a2.

g is the drum over which the fiexible material to-be dried (designatedA) passes. It is journaled in structure a and may be driven by a belt hextending around a pulley 'i on the shaft of the drum. After passingthis drum the said material extends over a smaller drum or roller jjournaled in structure a and adapted to be driven in any suitable way,as by a belt c extendingr around ulleys on the shafts of the two drums.l

esignates the delivery drum, or roller, also journaled in said structureand being here simply anv idler, the means (not shown) which is to foldor otherwise receive the dried material being assumed to take up ormaintain a draft on the ymaterial at a speed conforming with that atwhich it is fed to the convevor bv the feeding means g j. As-

suming the conveyor to have associated with it at intervals cross-pieceson which to form the material A into loops or festoons, and the feedingand take-up means to be advancing thematerial at a speed which exceedsthat of the conveyor (which in the present example is assumed to beconstantly 1n motion), t e loops or festoons A will be formed in a waywell known in the art and unnecessary of particular description herein.According to the present inventionthe said cross-pieces are rotated ontheir own axes while being advanced by the conveyor, and for thispurpose they are constructed and arranged as follows: c'`

In each two opposed bearings d of the conveyor is journaled a shaft m onwhich are fixed a plurality of disks or spiders 'n to which aresecured,- at their peripheries, the slats o, so that the slats arespaced from the shaft. rlhe slats are also equally spaced from eachother a suitable distance. 'lheir outer surfaces are prefere-bl turnedto a cylinder whose axis is sha m. On the s afts are fixed pinions pwhich when they roll in contact with a suitable surface as the conveyoradvances cause rotation on their own axes of the cross-pieces each ofwhich in the present instance comprises the mentioned parts m, n,- o andp. In the present example these pinions roll in contact and mesh withracks g which are placed horizontally on struts or rails r which connectthe uprights a4 a of the structure a, extending through chamber a.

While the conveyor and material A are being4 advanced, resulting in theformation of t e loops on the cross-pieces as already explained, thosecross-pieces which are in action supporting the looped part of thematerial are rotated by the intermesh of the pinions with the racks g,the direction of their rotation being in the present instance relativelythe same as the direction of advance of the conveyor. Con uently, whilethe material is being a vanced through the drying chamber eachcrosspiece acts with a rolling effect, as it were, on the face of thematerial presented thereto, and since this results in a shifting of theplace of contact of any cross-piece with the material alongthe surfaceof the latter meneer the streaking of the material or the insucientdrying thereof which takes place in existing machines where the materialcontacts with the (non-rotating) cross-pieces is entirely avoided. 4Iprefer to form the cross-pieces hollow and with openings yin theirperipheral portions (as at o', between slats o) because thisconstruction permits each cross-piece to have adequate diameter toinsure perfect tractive effect on the material A and allows the dryingair to have access to that part of the material which directly straddlesthe cross-piece at any cross-pieces- Vjonrnaled each on its own axis inthe bearings, and means cooperative with the cross-pieces to arrangesaid material thereon in loops hanging therefrom in alternationtherewith, in combination with means between said supports and extendingfrom one tothe other and affording an underneath rolling contact to andsupport for each cross-piece. n

2. Mechanism; for forming into loops flexible material to be driedincludingan elongated conveyor and means to support and advance the samelongitudinally in a lateral direction, spaced cross-pieces operativelyconnected with the conveyor to move therewith and extending transverselyof the path of travel thereof and substantially horizontally and eachjournaled on its own longitudinal axis, and means cooperative with thecross-pieces to arrange said material thereon in loops hanging therefromin a1- ternation therewith, each cross-piece having openings extendintherethrough for passage of the drying uid, in comblnation with means torotate the cross-pieces while the material hangs therefrom in suchloops.

In testimon whereof I atlx my si ature.-

LOB-ENT .HINNE NS.

